Response by Rick Thigpen

Loyalty has its price. National Republican politics, of the intolerant-conservative-without-compassion variety, continue to have a poisonous impact on the ambitions of New Jersey 's Republican Party. Inexplicably, in-state Republicans somehow remain dedicated to a national agenda and a President that our statewide electorate largely views as damaging to New Jersey and to our country. Predictably, what has been reaped is what has been sown. The reward for worshipping this false conservative idol is a statewide electorate that has not seen fit to send a Republican to Washington since 1972.

The Bush performance numbers have to be especially alarming to any Republican concerned about statewide politics. He is radioactive to Democrats, helping to galvanize our own base. His job performance numbers among Independent voters -- the key to any statewide election -- are pathetic and falling. The cherry on the top of this Democratic political sundae may be the enormous gender gap he has inspired among the electorate. Women, the backbone of most Democratic majorities, have considerably more skepticism about Bush and his policies than do men. Nevertheless, we must not forget that the heart and soul of this failure of the Bush Presidency is the war in Iraq . It is now, without a doubt, a clear political liability in New Jersey , not to mention a national tragedy. The political portrait that these numbers paint is quite clear. Michael Strahan will reconcile with his wife before the New Jersey electorate will knowingly cast a vote to advance the Bush agenda.

see also:
Survey Analysis
Republican Analysis
Tabular Results
Survey Details

Comment by Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind Academic Associate, Rick Thigpen (J.D., Columbia University Law School). Rick is a former Executive Director of the New Jersey Democratic Party and now a partner in The Strategy Group and is a campaign coordinator for the Essex County Democratic Party. Rick Thigpen, Esq. can be reached at (609) 394-0888.